


In Sickness and In Health

by Alielp



Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F, berena - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-08-29 17:18:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8498518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alielp/pseuds/Alielp
Summary: *Update - I've finally posted the previously abandoned chapter 2, abandoned for being TOO sweet.  BUT, I'm a completist, and seems like a good day for excessive fluff! Valentines 2017*Originally planned as chapters 9 & 10 of 'Finding The Way Home - A Berena Story', I have decided to update that one as completed and post these as a new fic.





	1. In Sickness...

**Author's Note:**

> This is totally and utterly unbeta-d, and quite possibly comes across as a bit too chatty, not to mention a bit like a romance novel. Red face here!

January was, as ever, a gruelling time at Holby.  All departments found themselves stretched to the max.  Patient numbers rose as moods plummeted in a post-Christmas crash, and tensions ran high, resulting in more altercations, more elderly patients suffering from cold related injuries, not to mention the alcohol fuelled illnesses caused by people trying to numb the pain.  For AAU and the trauma unit, there were also plenty of patients presenting having fallen in the icy conditions, causing themselves all manner of trauma, both external and internal.

And for Serena, there was Mr Horton.  Mr Horton was an elderly man, who had lived alone since his wife died.  He had been admitted following a particularly nasty slip on the ice, when he had fallen extremely hard against iron railings, raising the possibility of a liver laceration.  This was further complicated by an particularly high temperature, which had turned out to be the ‘flu.  He had of course been moved to a side room, and the nursing staff were taking extra precautions even though most had had their flu vaccination.  The last thing they needed when they were this busy was to have half the staff go down with the flu, and leave them in the lurch.  Fortunately for Mr Horton, Serena had determined that his very uncomfortable bruising proved to be only affecting the soft tissues, and not his internal organs.  With no surgery required, it was purely left for him to be nursed through his fever.

A few days after admitting Mr Horton on to the ward, Bernie wandered into the office she shared with Serena, only to find Serena sitting in her chair, yet leaning over her desk, head resting on crossed arms.

“Hello, you!  I was wondering where you’d got to!”

Serena didn’t immediately respond.

“Hey, love, are you OK?”  Bernie moved swiftly to Serena’s side, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“I’ll be fine.  Just this dratted headache”, mumbled Serena into her arm.

Bernie smoothed her hand down Serena’s back, then, noticing the heat the other woman was emitting, lifted her hand to cup Serena’s forehead.

“Serena!  You’re burning up!  I think you may have a little bit more than a headache!” 

“No, no, it’ll be fine.  Just need to close my eyes for a moment.”

“Serena, this is silly, you need to go home.  You should be in bed!”

“You offering to take me?”  Serena’s words were slightly slurred.

“Right, that’s it.  No jokes.  I’m calling you a taxi.  I can’t take you back, AAU can’t afford to lose both of us at short notice.  Jason is at home, I’ll call him and make sure he sees you up the stairs, but after that, you need to take yourself to bed.  I’ll be home as soon as I can, Serena.  But promise me you’ll go to bed and stay there until then?”

“Mmm, okay.”  Serena still hadn’t raised her head from her arms.

Bernie hurriedly called a taxi, then went to find Raf to alert him of the situation, before returning to the office and helping Serena on with her coat.  She quickly shepherded her down to the main entrance, tucking her safely in the waiting taxi and confirming their address.

The day passed agonisingly slowly.  Bernie hadn’t been able to help herself, she had called Jason about half a dozen times, initially to check that Serena had arrived and made it safely up the stairs, and then just general checks in to see how she seemed to be doing.  Jason wasn’t proving to be the most effective nurse.  He didn’t see the point of keep checking in on Serena, and he was beginning to get annoyed with her calls.

Finally, her shift finished.  Bernie dashed into the office, collecting her coat and bag.  Barely pausing to say goodbye to her colleagues, she made it down to the car park in record time.  She stopped for a moment by Serena’s car – which would now have to be left here overnight.  She quickly pulled out the spare set of keys which she carried in the bottom of her bag, and checked through the boot and under the seats for anything Serena might have inadvertently left there.  Satisfied that there was nothing of value, she relocked the car, and carried on to her own car.  Typical that this should happen on a day when they hadn’t carpooled.  Praying to the god of traffic, Bernie pulled out of the car park and made her way home.

Jason was waiting for her when she arrived home, eager to have someone to talk to about the shows he’d watched that day.  Putting him off as gently as she could, Bernie ran up the stairs to the bedroom she shared with Serena.  Pushing the door open quietly in case Serena was sleeping, she crept into the bedroom.  She realised quickly she needn’t have worried, Serena wasn’t sleeping, but she was rather out of it nonetheless, tossing and turning and mumbling to herself.  Bernie felt her forehead once more, a little concerned with how warm Serena felt.  She stroked her face, trying to elicit a reaction.

“Serena, Serena!  I’m home.”

“Mmm?  Bernie?”  Serena was clearly still aware enough to know what was happening.  “Hurts.  Everywhere.  So cold!”

“I know it feels like you’re chilly, but you’re burning up!  We need to cool you down.  I need to pull the covers back, OK?”

“No!  I want to keep them!”  Serena clutched the edge of the duvet as tightly as her aching fingers allowed.

“Come on, Serena, you know better than that.  Have you taken anything to bring your fever down?  Any paracetomal?”

“No, couldn’t find it.”

“I’m going to get you some right now.  It might help you to stop feeling so cold.”  Bernie disappeared into the bathroom, to rummage through the cupboard.  Finding the paracetomal wedged at the back, she took them back to the bedroom with a glass of water.  By the time she returned, Serena was shivering. 

“Bernie, feel sick...”

“OK, let’s get you to the bathroom.”  Bernie helped Serena to swing her shaky legs round, and she supported her as they made their way to the bathroom.  Just in time, it happened, as upon reaching the toilet, Serena was violently ill.

“My, this is a nasty bug you’ve got”, soothed Bernie, holding a cold, damp flannel to Serena’s forehead.  “It’s that flu, isn’t it?  The one you’ve been treating Mr Horton for.  A really vicious strain.  I really wish you’d found time to reschedule your vaccination!  You spent so much time and energy chasing up the rest of the team, making sure they had theirs, and then to just not make sure you covered yourself!  You know how risky it can be, working in a hospital, when you’ve not been protected.”

“Don’t scold.  You didn’t have yours either!”

“Oh, that’s not a concern.  I _never_ get ill.  I have a rock solid immune system.  And I heal quickly too.  I won’t catch it!  Come on, if you’re done, we should get you back to bed.”

Bernie helped Serena back, tucking her in under significantly fewer covers than Serena had been clutching previously, much to Serena’s disgust.  Bernie perched on the edge of the bed, stroking Serena’s hair away from her forehead, knowing that any more contact would likely cause more discomfort than solace in her current state.  Exhausted, Serena soon drifted off to a calmer sleep than before, and only then did Bernie allow herself to relax and wander downstairs to prepare dinner for Jason and herself, and to listen to all of Jason’s news from the day.

*  *  *

And so went the following week.  Serena’s fever ran for 6 days before finally breaking.  Bernie took off what time she could from work, but the ridiculously high turnover on the wards meant that there wasn’t a worse season to need a break.  Exhausted from juggling work, Jason’s needs and caring for Serena, Bernie almost felt like she was sleepwalking.

After another night with insufficient sleep from her regular checks on Serena, she rolled over in bed on the seventh morning, to find Serena watching her with more clarity than she had shown since her symptoms began.

“Hi!” said Serena, smiling softly.

“Morning.  How are you feeling?”  Better than she was, Bernie hoped.

“Actually, I feel much better.  I’m not sure I’m ready to get in the ring with Mike Tyson, but I rather think I’ve turned the corner.”

“Thank goodness!” breathed Bernie, sitting up in bed.

Serena pulled herself upright too, although still leaning back on the head of the bed.  “Bernie, thank you for all you’ve done for me.  I don’t suppose I’ve been the nicest patient ever...”

“Doctors never are.” interjected Bernie.

Serena ignored the interruption.  “But you’ve been wonderful.  I love you, and if I wasn’t as weak as a blasted kitten, I’d show you how much.”

“Oh, Serena!” smirked Bernie.  “I think I can wait a few days until you’ve got your strength back.  I love you for more than your body, you know.”

“I rather think I may be testing your devotion at the moment.  I have the feeling I might be rather fit to scare the crows!  I dread to think what I will face in the mirror!”

Bernie’s eyes roamed across Serena’s unwashed hair, sticking up in tufts all around her unhealthily pallid face.  She took in the huge dark circles beneath her eyes, and the scattering of petechiae from the violent expulsion of her stomach contents at the height of her fever. 

“Serena, you are beautiful.  You are my goddess”, she cupped Serena’s jaw, resting her forehead against the brunette’s.  “Illness could _never_ affect how I feel about you.  Come on, let’s get you up and washed.  You’ll feel much better afterwards”

Serena leaned upon Bernie as she made her way into the bathroom, cursing the weakness she still felt in her limbs.  Reaching the sink, and looking into the mirror above, she gave a sharp laugh.

“I don’t know what pantheon you subscribe to, Ms Wolfe, but I rather think you ought to change your religion before someone calls a Psych consult and gets you sectioned!”

“Rubbish!” retorted Bernie.  “I know a beautiful woman when I see one!  Now come on, let’s get you bathed.”

*  *  *

Later the next day, after she had returned from her shift at work, Bernie was rather looking forward to a relaxing evening at home with Serena, who had called her earlier to say she’d managed to get up and get downstairs.  Jason had finally got fed up of having no one to sit with every evening and watch his programmes, and so he had gone to stay with Alan for a bit, several days earlier.  ‘A cozy evening in, cuddled up under a blanket on the sofa, just what the doctor ordered!’ thought Bernie to herself, preparing to leave the office.  She had missed her usual interactions with Serena immensely, for although they hadn’t been apart, Serena’s illness had temporarily robbed her of her fierce spirit and wit.  Still, tonight would be perfect, even without the Shiraz, which Serena wasn’t yet well enough to return to.

Pulling up outside their home, Bernie felt the beginnings of a nagging headache.  She rolled her neck, trying to release the tension in her shoulders.  _This_ was _not_ part of the plan!  She decided to ignore her discomfort and get on with her perfect evening.

Serena had done more than just get up.  Somehow, she’d found enough strength to prepare a simple meal too.

“Hello love!”  Bernie announced her return.  “You made dinner!  You didn’t have to do that!”

“Hello.  I wanted to.  You’ve done so much for me whilst I’ve been ill, I wanted to make it up to you.  Besides, you are looking a little tired.  It can’t have been easy for you, juggling all the responsibilities.”

“Well, I have to admit, it did get a little easier when Jason went to Alan’s!” remarked Bernie, “Though it is rather quiet around here.  Rather perfect for a cozy evening, wouldn’t you say?”

“I would indeed.  Come on, let’s eat before it gets cold, then we can sit down together.”

Dinner itself was a subdued affair.  Serena hadn’t yet got her appetite back, and Bernie found that for some reason, she had lost hers too.  When Serena commented on how little she’d eaten, she brushed the concerns aside, saying that she was just tired, and she had snacked a lot at work.

“I dread to think what state our office will be in, by the time I return!” retorted Serena drily.  She remembered too well what had happened when she had been off before, suspended by Hanssen.  She had returned to a situation where she couldn’t even _see_ her desktop for the detritus Bernie had left scattered across it.  Food wrappers, coffee cups, you name it, and it was there.  Still, at least she needn’t fear for the department itself.  As before, she had no doubt that Bernie would have run it with anything other than military precision.

“Actually, I’ve been very careful,” remarked Bernie.  “And if I _have_ left one or two things around, I promise you, they’re on my desk – not yours!”

“We will see.  Anyway, if you’re done, I’ll clear away and we can go and relax.”

“No, you go through now.  _I_ will clear away.”  Bernie collected the dishes, scraping the leftovers into the bin before loading the sink.  “Dishes will keep.”  She remarked.  For once, Serena agreed with her.

In the end, the two women wandered through to the living room together.  Curling up on the sofa, and pulling a big blanket across both their laps, Bernie dropped her head on to Serena’s shoulder with a groan.

“Bernie?  What’s up?” asked Serena, concerned.

“Just a bit of a headache.  I’ve had a day of it.” Replied Bernie.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Nothing really to talk about.  Same old same old.  I just need a good night sleep, then I’ll be tip top again.”

“Do you want to go up now?”

“No, let’s just stay down here for a bit.  I think if we go to bed now, I might just fall straight to sleep, and I want to spend some time with you first.”

Staying on the sofa didn’t seem to be working very well to keep Bernie awake, Serena noted a short time later, feeling Bernie’s weight against her increase as she relaxed into sleep.  She wasn’t in the least surprised at how tired Bernie must be feeling.

“Bernie!”  Serena shook her gently.  “Bernie, come on, time to go to bed.”

Bernie roused with difficulty.  Her head really was pounding.  She managed to stagger up the stairs and strip her clothes off before falling into bed, and straight to sleep.

*  *  *

The next morning proved to be no better.  Bernie’s head now felt like it had a vice gripped around it.  She lay still in bed on waking, tense with pain.  Worse still, it had spread.  All her joints were aching too.  She must have been more tired than she realised.

Soon after, Serena roused.  She rolled over, and snuggled up to Bernie, wrapping her arms and leg around her.  Bernie whimpered as the movements and pressure caused the pains to flare into full force.

“Bernie, what’s wrong?”  Serena came to full wakefulness immediately.

“I’m just run down.  I probably need another good night, then I’ll be fine.”

“Bernie – you’ve got the flu!”  said Serena, half teasingly, half pityingly.

“No, I haven’t.  I don’t get ill.  I’m just tired!”

“You stubborn fool!  You’re feverish, achy, your head hurts – I recognise the symptoms having only just come through it myself!”

“Well, I won’t have it.  I have to get ready for work!” said Bernie, stubbornly.

“That’s ridiculous.  Even if you’re not prepared to acknowledge you’re ill for your own sake, how irresponsible would it be to go into work, and potentially infect everyone else?  Our patients are often vulnerable.  How would you feel if you infected one of them?  AAU is just going to have to do without both of us for a couple of days.”  Serena chided Bernie harshly.

“OK, OK.  I’ll stay in at home.  Just to make you feel happier, not because I really _need_ to!”

“Berenice Griselda Wolfe, you are incorrigible!  There’s no weakness in falling ill, you know.  Otherwise, what would that make me?”

“I would never dare to call _you_ weak, Serena!  Nor would I want to, because to do so would be a lie.  That is the _last_ thing anyone could ever accuse you of.”

“There you go then.  Stop pretending you’re OK, and let _me_ look after _you_ this time.  And I’d just like to mention that you really should have had your flu jab instead of being all gung ho macho army medic about it, now shouldn’t you?”  Serena teased gently.

“Low blow, Ms Campbell, low blow!” groaned Bernie.  “If I didn’t ache so much, I would throw a pillow at you for that!  But instead, just help me get up, and I’ll make you breakfast”.

“Bernie, _please_ stop being such an idiot.  If you really want to be as healthy as you like to pretend you are, you must realise that you have to rest.  You’re to stay in that bed.  You can get up to use the bathroom, but other than that, you’re not to move.  _I_ will do anything else that needs doing for you.  And that’s my last word.”

Bernie, knowing when she was defeated, and really not feeling too chipper anyway if she was to be completely honest with herself, merely grunted in agreement, before closing her eyes and painfully snuggling under the covers.

*  *  *

Serena soon discovered that caring for an unwell Bernie Wolfe was not a challenge to be undertaken lightly.  Bernie had to be one of the grumpiest, most stubborn invalids in the world.  Unwilling to admit how poorly she felt, she insisted on constantly trying to get out of bed and act like she was okay.  On balance, Serena wasn’t sure her current situation was actually any worse than Bernie’s when she was ill – I mean, yes, Bernie had had to work, and she’d had Jason for the first couple of days too, but at least Serena had been a model patient compared to Bernie herself.  If she hadn’t lost any weight from the flu bug itself, Serena reckoned she’d managed to shed a fair few pounds just from running up and down stairs, making sure that Bernie wasn’t trying to make an escape from bed again in an ill-advised attempt to prove her health.  Goodness me, at least she really _doesn’t_ seem to get ill often, otherwise what sort of life would she be committing herself to? Serena wondered as she flopped exhausted on the bed next to Bernie one night.

True to form, however, Bernie did indeed demonstrate a formidable immune system, or at the very least, an incredible force of will, as her malady passed after just a few days, in comparison to the near week that Serena suffered.  Serena was torn between being pleased that Bernie had recovered so quickly, the tiniest bit annoyed that she herself hadn’t, and relief that the whole experience was over.  And the whole parcel of emotion was wrapped in awe that not once during her flu had Bernie looked anything other than stunning.  She said as much to Bernie on the morning after her fever had broken.  Bernie had laughed her wonderful crazy laugh, and explained to Serena that she couldn’t imagine a single other person in the world who would agree with her, that as far as Bernie was concerned, she had looked the same old messy, plain woman for years, on tour, at home, everywhere really.  It wasn’t that she looked worse when she was ill, it was that she didn’t look any better when she was well.  Serena laughed initially, but her laughter quickly died into incredulous silence when she realised that Bernie really believed what she was saying.

“Bernie, you must know that you’re absolutely gorgeous!  I’ve been telling you for ages, although admittedly mostly when we’re, well, being intimate.  But you must know that I mean it always.  And you must know that I’m far from the only person who thinks so?  How could you not?”

“I just don’t see myself that way, Serena.  But it’s OK.  I know you love me, and I love you.  I feel thankful every day that you’ve chosen to be with me, when you could have anyone you wanted.”

“I only want you, Bernie.  Today, tomorrow, as far into the future as I can see.  Just you.”

“Oh, Serena,” Bernie whispered.  “You’re all I want too!”

And the two women fell into an embrace, clutching hold of each other as if they would never let go, celebrating their love for each other, and the promise of intimacy to come.


	2. ...And In Health

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revoltingly kitsch, nauseatingly twee, and fluffier than a room full of persians. Written ages ago but abandoned for being TOO sweet. Pulled out just for Valentines Day 2017!
> 
> Oh, and Elinor is definitely alive.

Life quickly returned to normal, with Jason returning from Alan’s, and Bernie and Serena both throwing themselves back into life on AAU. They were welcomed back with open arms by their harassed colleagues, who were fed up with agency and bank staff, and cover from other departments who didn’t fully understand their procedures. In the scarce moments of respite from the rush, Serena lost no opportunities to poke fun at Bernie about what a difficult patient she was, and Bernie, grateful for the love and care Serena had shown her, took the digs with good grace. Additionally, Serena had made it her mission to get Bernie to understand what an attractive woman she was, and had taken to whispering compliments to her at inopportune moments, when Bernie had no chance to reply. She also considered pointing out to Bernie the numerous times she caught someone else admiring her, but had drawn the line there. It wasn’t that she was insecure, per se, but there wasn’t much point in deliberately showing Bernie her options when Serena had no intention of ever letting her go.

January bled into February, February into March, and as the weather started to turn warmer, and cold related illnesses and injuries waned, so the ward calmed to its usual, though still frenetic, pace. Bernie and Serena found more time together in the office, discussing patients, exchanging smiles across their respective desks whilst wading through reams of paperwork, and sometimes just taking a moment to sit with a cup of tea and contemplate their joint dominion.

Their home life was no less harmonious. Now they had been officially living together for several months, they had fallen into a mutually agreeable routine, which didn’t entirely rule out the occasional niggle – Bernie’s natural talents for leaving mess in her wake had Serena pulling her hair out on more than one occasion, conversely Bernie couldn’t get her head around Serena’s constant need to clean, tidy, straighten and plump up anything and everything on a far too regular basis. They had developed a system whereby Serena clearing her throat pointedly would indicate to Bernie that she  _ might  _ want to collect up and appropriately dispose of her detritus before she left the room or moved on to another task, and Serena had taken to waiting to do the majority of her straightening and tidying in the early evening whilst Bernie sat with Jason to watch some of his programmes. The solution seemed to work well for both of them, thus despite those small personality quirks, they were both equally satisfied and delighted with their relationship and cohabitation.

* * *

One cold Saturday, early the following December, found Serena and Bernie on a shopping trip to search out presents for Jason and the children. It had, of course, been Serena’s idea. Bernie would never have chosen such an activity. Truth be told, it was close to her idea of hell. But, Serena was already getting fully into the festive spirit, and had been so excited at the prospect of a day out shopping together that Bernie hadn’t had the heart to say no. It  _ did _ mean she got to watch Serena, cheeks and nose red with cold, get all excited over the festive displays, and all the gift options out there. It also meant that she didn’t have to worry much about Christmas shopping, she knew Serena would ferret out little treasures that she would proclaim perfect for Cam and Charlotte – and Bernie would know she was right. Which left only the problem of choosing the perfect gift for Serena herself. And she did want it to be perfect. She wanted to leave no doubt in Serena’s mind about how much she adored her, no question of her commitment to making their relationship last.

They had been out for a couple of hours already, and Bernie couldn’t think of a large shop or department store they hadn’t already been in. But, Serena clearly wasn’t done yet, so Bernie carried on following her, carrying the bulk of their purchases, outwardly uncomplaining (whilst inwardly planning the things she would be asking Serena to do to make it up to her). Lost in her thoughts, she almost barrelled straight into Serena, who had abruptly stopped and stepped in front of her. Serena was gazing into the window of a little jewellery store.

“Oh, Bernie, perhaps a pendant for Elinor? Or Charlotte, if you think she’d like it? Let’s take a look.”

Bernie stepped up to the window, casting her eye across the array of necklaces displayed at an approximate eye line level. But as she glanced downward to the lower tiers of the display, her attention was caught by the rings arranged below – in truth by one particular ring. It was stunning, made of white gold, and reasonably plain apart from a beautiful design etched around the centre of the ring. It almost looked to her eye like a chain of caducei, head to head and tail to tail around the whole circle. How incredibly appropriate. She glanced at the price tag. Ouch. However much she might like it, she certainly wasn’t going to be treating herself. But, it was so beautiful, and would make an incredibly special gift for the right person... She looked at Serena, stood by her side, musing aloud about the relative merits of this pendant against that one, knowing that Bernie wasn’t really listening, but including her regardless. Bernie knew at once that this was the gift she had been searching for. The perfect gift for Serena Campbell. Of course, there was no way she would be able to buy it today. Which would mean another trip shopping, this time by herself. She nearly groaned aloud at the prospect, but stopped herself, with a reminder of who she wanted to do this for, and how much she was worth it. Now she just had to figure out a way to remember  _ where exactly _ this shop is...

Her mental dialogue was interrupted by Serena pulling her by the arm, into the shop itself to check out the wares inside.

For the remainder of their shopping trip, Bernie made a concerted effort to join into discussion with Serena about gift choices, meal planning, anything that Serena cared to bring up.

In the end, it was nearly a week before Bernie found the chance to return to town alone, to make her purchase. She found the shop without too much bother, she had mentally plotted a map from when they left the shop until they finally returned to the car, and it wasn’t like she wanted to spend more time than she  _ needed _ to wandering around at this time of year, fighting her way in the cold through the seasonal shopping crowds. She managed to neatly sidestep a heavily laden, angry looking man who seemed to think his plight was sufficiently worse than everyone else’s that he had the right to barge through people without consideration – and stepped inside the jewellers.

She was greeted at the desk by a bespectacled man, who knew instantly which ring she was referring to. He brought it to her from the window for closer inspection, and she picked it up and turned it around in her hand, before slipping it on her finger to check for size (she had already tried on one of Serena’s rings from her jewellery box and confirmed that if it fit Bernie, it should certainly fit Serena). As she slipped it off again, Bernie felt even more certain that this was the perfect gift. She returned it to the man, nodding her confirmation, and rummaged through her bag to find her credit card.

“Did you want the ring engraved inside with a message?” asked the assistant.

“Engraved?” Bernie hadn’t even thought of such a thing. “Erm, I don’t... Actually, yes. I do.”

“If you could jot down the message you would like added here, we can get that done for you within a couple of days. There is of course a limit to how much we can fit, so please keep the message as short as possible.”

“Right”, said Bernie, brow furrowing as she thought hard. After a few moments, she picked up the pen, and scrawled a few words on the proffered card.

* * *

Christmas day, when it arrived, was a lovely but quiet one. Just the three of them – Serena, Bernie and Jason. Cam was working, Charlotte was with Marcus, and Elinor was spending the day with her boyfriend's family. Miraculously, for the second year running, both Serena and Bernie were off work, although Bernie was technically on call for trauma. They had spent the day opening gifts, chatting and laughing. All three had pitched in to cook the Christmas roast, and it had been wonderful (no thanks to herself and Jason, thought Bernie later). Then came an afternoon of board games (Jason couldn't wait to try his gift from Cameron), and documentary boxsets (another of Jason's gifts, this time from Elinor). Bernie and Serena had been extremely content to join Jason, just basking in their domesticity and the pleasure of being together, sharing glances and smiles, full of affection and the promises of heat to come. They too had exchanged gifts – small, thoughtful presents – a CD Serena had been wanting; a novel Bernie had expressed an interest in; and other little things that spoke of love, care, and attention.

It was now late in the evening. Jason had disappeared up to his room, to try out his new computer game that Bernie and Serena had bought for him. In the living room, the lights were dim, and the flames from the log fire were slowly dying to embers. Bernie and Serena were cuddled up together on the sofa, both wearing novelty Christmas sweaters and matching socks – their gifts from Jason (presented proudly as he'd chosen them all by himself).

Serena nuzzled into Bernie's neck. “Mmm. Thank goodness today was a quiet one on AAU”.

“Yes, luckily no stabbings over the Christmas turkey.” said Bernie.

“Or shootings over rotten choices of presents!” Serena chuckled at her own joke, her warm breath tickling Bernie's neck and making her shiver.

“Rotten presents?” Bernie pulled away slightly, looking concerned.

“No, you idiot, I wasn't talking about  _ my _ presents! I love everything you gave me. You make me feel...  _ special.  _ I was merely making a joke about work!”

“Right, yes, of course. The thing is, Serena, I... There is, I mean, I have... I have another gift for you. I held it back, I wanted to save it until we were alone”.

“Really?” Serena's eyes sparkled. “Well, that's most interesting, because  _ I  _ saved my last present to you, too!”

“You did?!” Bernie looked surprised. “But, you've given me so much already!”

“What can I say? I can't help myself! I can't seem to stop wanting to do things to show you I love you!”

“I can think of plenty of ways you can do that, Serena!” Bernie said with a smirk.

“Now, now, I'll be getting to  _ that _ in a bit!” promised Serena. “But first, the presents. How about, you show me yours and I'll show you mine?!”

Serena reached under the tree, searching the corner at the back. Meanwhile, Bernie had gone over and opened the drawer of the dresser, where she now kept all her personal paperwork. They returned to the sofa, and sat, facing each other, knees pressed together, both tense with anticipation.

Almost simultaneously, each held a wrapped gift out to the other. The gifts were identical in size and shape, a fact which wasn't lost on either woman. Serena moved first, beginning to unwrap the colourful paper from her gift. Bernie watched, holding her breath, knuckles white with nervous tension. As Serena removed the last of the paper, revealing the jewellers box within, she paused, looking up at Bernie's face with a quizzical expression. Bernie, unable to interpret Serena's expression, panicked at the fear of impending rejection. She set her shoulders and straightened her back, bracing herself for what was to come. She was, however, totally unprepared for Serena's reaction as she opened the box and saw what was inside. Serena exhaled a shaky breath, before bursting into tears.

Bernie felt devastated at her perceived error in judgement. She fought the ever-present need to run from the situation. “Serena, I, I didn't mean to upset you! I'm sorry, I should have thought more, I mean, I don't want you to...”

“Oh, Bernie!” Serena flung her arms around Bernie's neck, holding her tightly, as tears dampened Bernie's shoulder. “It's so beautiful! I really love it, it's just... open yours!”

Serena released Bernie from her embrace, sliding her hands down to Bernie's knees, unwilling to break contact, but allowing Bernie the freedom of her hands to unwrap her own present. Bernie, still somewhat confused at Serena's extreme outburst of emotion, hastily stripped away the paper, brows lifting in surprise as she revealed a box emblazoned with the same Jewellers name. Her gaze shot to Serena's face, eyes wide, as she opened the box to find an identical ring to the one she had chosen for Serena! Bernie gasped, mouth working wordlessly for a few moments before a semblance of speech returned.

“Serena! Oh! Wow! Well, I never...”

Serena, smiling broadly, yet still with tears in her eyes, took pity on Bernie's inability to process and articulate her feelings.

“You are a woman of very fine taste, Ms Wolfe! And since you chose such a beautiful gift for me, I'm rather hoping you were taken with it yourself, too!”

“Um, yes, I was! I loved it as soon as I saw it, and it immediately made me think of you and how beautiful it would look on you, and of course I would have liked it for myself, but I just knew that it had to be yours, and...” When she found her voice, Bernie was unable to stop the words from tumbling out.

“Bernie!” Serena interrupted Bernie's breathless expulsion. “I felt the same. I'm so happy you love it, and I'm so happy you bought one for me... You can't imagine how awful it was when I went back to the jeweller to get it for you, and it was missing from the window! I went in and spoke to him – he knew exactly which one I meant. Did you know that the rings were made by a local jewellery maker? Yes,” she continued at Bernie's shake of the head. “He specialises in etched design, and only ever makes one or two of any given design. I happen to know that these two rings are quite literally the only two of their kind – the jeweller contacted him on my behalf to beg for another ring the same. It's been quite a flap, trying to get it in time for Christmas! But it's worth it. I just can't believe that you bought the other one!”

“Maybe it's fate!” Bernie's face was softened by a warm, shy smile. “I wonder if that jeweller remembered us coming in together? You know, when we went shopping for the children? I wonder if he remembered that when we both bought the same thing?!”

“He must have thought we were shopping for wedding rings!” chuckled Serena.

Bernie blushed bright red, and looked at her hands, twisting in her lap and fingering the ring she had put on whilst Serena had been explaining it's origin. Since they had moved in together, a year ago now, they hadn't ever discussed the progression of their relationship. They had both been so happy, and their intimacy and closeness had grown organically without the need for words or labels. Bernie had no idea what thoughts Serena might have for their future, although she was confident that Serena did imagine their  _ having _ a future. All Bernie knew were her own dreams, her own visions about what their life together might look like.

“Um, Serena... There's a message. Inside.”

Serena lifted the ring she had been stroking with her fingers and held it up to the light. As she twisted it around, she was able to read the message “My heart and soul. Forever”

“Oh, Bernie!” she breathed, tears filling her eyes again. “I love you so much!”

“I love you too”. Bernie pulled Serena into her arms, and the two women held each other.

“There's a message in yours, too”. Serena whispered into Bernie's ear.

Without leaving Serena's embrace, Bernie slipped her ring off and held it up behind Serena's back, reading aloud the words engraved inside:

“With all my love, always”

Bernie pulled back slightly, one hand slipping around to cup Serena's jaw as the other stroked her waist. She rested her forehead against Serena's.

“I do want this to be for always, Serena.” she said. “I can't imagine life without you. I would never want to”.

“I don't ever want to lose you either, Bernie. Life with you makes me so... happy.”

Bernie pulled back further still, drinking in Serena's beautiful face, eyes shining, cheeks still slightly damp with tears, her radiant smile.

“You know that thing you said, a minute ago?” she asked, hesitantly.

“Which thing?”

“About, well, about... wedding rings?”

“Yes?” Serena looked at Bernie, anticipation widening her eyes and parting her lips.

“Well, I know we've never talked about... What I mean to say is that I don't know what you think about... I mean, I know that you were before, and that it didn't work out, and that was with a man. But of course it's all a whole different kettle of fish with me being a... Oh! Bugger this!” 

Bernie halted her own verbal incontinence, and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She opened her eyes again, dropping her hands to grasp Serena's, and gazing steadily and bravely into Serena's eyes.

“What I'm trying to say is: Serena Campbell, will you marry me?!”

“Oh, yes, Bernie, yes! Of course I will! I love you, I...” Serena, overcome with emotion, succumbed to tears yet again, this time joined by Bernie, herself overwhelmed by the enormity of her feelings and her happiness at Serena's response.

“Serena, I promise you, I will spend my whole life making you as happy as I can. Just as you make me”, and with that, Bernie leaned forward, capturing Serena’s lips once again in a kiss full of adoration, hope, and promise for the years to come.


End file.
